Corpse Bride (2005)
12-month trend
12-month trend
Monthly article views
2025-09 to 2026-08
A young man's attempt to marry his true love leads him into a literal underworld of complications.
The story
In an English village in the 1800s, Victor Van Dort and Victoria Everglot prepare for an arranged marriage intended to unite their families' fortunes. During a rehearsal, Victor becomes distressed and flees into a nearby forest. There, he places his wedding ring on what he believes is a tree root, only to awaken the spirit of a deceased woman named Emily. Emily, dressed in a wedding gown, claims him as her husband and transports them both to the Land of the Dead, a whimsical realm inhabited by the spirits of the deceased.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
In an 1800s English village, Victor Van Dort and Victoria Everglot are set to marry in an arranged union. After a disastrous rehearsal, Victor flees into a forest and accidentally awakens Emily, a corpse in a wedding dress. She takes him to the Land of the Dead. While there, Victor learns Emily was murdered by her former fiancé, who stole her wealth. Desperate to return to Victoria, Victor tricks Emily into taking him back to the land of the living. However, Emily discovers his deception and takes him back to the underworld. When Victoria's parents attempt to marry her off to a man named Barkis, Victor learns of the plan and decides to marry Emily properly to ensure his own safety and her happiness. He prepares to drink the 'Wine of Ages' to join her in death. During the ceremony, the truth of Barkis's greed is exposed, and he is killed by the spirits. Emily, realizing she is preventing Victoria from finding happiness, releases Victor from his vow. She dissolves into butterflies, allowing Victor to return to the land of the living to marry Victoria.
- First release year
- 2005
- Runtime (minutes)
- 77
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Mike Johnson; Tim Burton
- Writers
- John August · screenplay; Caroline Thompson · screenplay; Pamela Pettler · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Johnny Depp · Victor; Helena Bonham Carter · Emily
- Genres
- animated; romantic; fantasy
- Tone and mood
- whimsically macabre; visually imaginative; emotionally bittersweet
- Setting
- An English village in the 1800s.
- Premise and plot tags
- stop-motion; fantasy; romance; musical
- Source material / true-story basis
- "The Finger", a 17th-century Jewish folktale
- Reception
- The film was well received by critics and audiences, praised for its animation and story.
- Reported review scores
- CinemaScore · score: B+ · scale: A+ to F
- Awards and nominations
- Best Animated Feature · Academy Awards · 78th · Nomination; Best European Feature Film · British Animation Awards · 2006 · Win
- Production trivia
- The film was shot with Canon EOS-1D Mark II digital SLRs.; It was the first stop-motion feature film directed by Tim Burton.; The film is dedicated to executive producer Joe Ranft.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
Your lists
Loading your lists…